Flat panel display mounting device

ABSTRACT

A flat panel display mounting device for securing a flat panel display, such as an LCD or plasma television, to a support surface, such as a wall, is disclosed. The flat panel display mounting device comprises a plurality of members in the form of support panels pivotally connected together and a rotation control mechanism connected thereto so that the flat panel display mounted on the device can be rotated to a desired angle and the center of gravity of the flat panel display during rotation can be maintained as close to the support surface as possible, so as not to generate additional burden to the flat panel display mounting device.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to, and is a Divisional of, U.S.application Ser. No. 11/852,536, filed on Sep. 10, 2007, now pending,which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

Although incorporated by reference in its entirety, no arguments ordisclaimers made in the parent application apply to this divisionalapplication. Any disclaimer that may have occurred during theprosecution of the above-referenced application(s) is hereby expresslyrescinded. Consequently, the Patent Office is asked to review the newset of claims in view of all of the prior art of record and any searchthat the Office deems appropriate.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a flat panel display mounting device,and more particularly to such a device having planar structure foradjusting the viewing angle of the flat panel display mounted thereonwithout translational movement.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Flat panel displays, such as LCD and plasma television, have becomeincreasingly popular and now almost dominate the market which used tobelong to the traditional CRT. Because flat panel displays are thin inprofile, they are often mounted on walls, brackets or other verticalflat surfaces in order to save space. For a better viewing angle, flatpanel displays are often mounted on a support device which can berotated to a desired angle. Numerous patents directed to mountingdevices having function of adjustable viewing angle can be found.

Some prior art, such as U.S. Pat. No. 7,063,295 (Gil Soon Kwon), U.S.Pat. No. 6,402,109 (Jay Dittmer), U.S. Pat. No. 6,554,242 (Sang WookKim), is directed to mounting devices having mechanisms which enablethem to be rotated about a horizontal axis and thus the angle to theirmounting surface can be adjusted.

Some prior art, such as U.S. Pat. No. 6,905,101 (Jay Dittmer), U.S. Pat.No. 6,102,348 (Edward L. O'Neill), WO 2006/014051 (Mock, Dae Gwan),discloses mounting devices having mechanisms which enable them to berotated about a vertical axis and thus the angle to their mountingsurface can be adjusted. U.S. Pat. No. 6,905,101 further includes amechanism which enables the mounting device disclosed therein to also berotated about a horizontal axis and thus the angle to its mountingsurface can be adjusted.

It is noted that the mechanisms shown in the above patents are generallyin the form of links or arms. The links or arms have the advantage ofsimple structure, but are weak or too large, when they are used tosupport an object having substantial weight, particularly if they arerequired to be rotatable. Furthermore, as the display panel gets largerand heavier, the structure of a support device formed of links or armscan be too weak to safely support a heavy flat panel display.

Furthermore, when the angle of a display is adjusted, the center ofgravity of the device as disclosed above along with the display will bedisplaced away from the wall or the surface where the device/display ismounted, and the displacement will impose additional burden on thesupport device, especially in translational movement, aggravating theproblem of structural weakness of the support device.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is to overcome the weakness in thestructure inherent to most support devices for flat panel displays inwhich links and arms are used.

The specific measure of the present invention is using panels instead ofthe links or arms used in the prior art devices. Three, four, and sixrigid and rectangular panels connected by hinges are disclosed. Thepanels of the present invention are made into a structure constructed byplates or truss, wherein the truss can be solid or hollow. The panels ofthe present invention can also be made of plates punched to have astructure similar to that of truss. The panel structure can be as thinas possible yet still maintains enough structural strength to support aheavy flat panel display.

In the present invention, a rotation control mechanism is used with thesupport mechanism so that when the support mechanism is rotated to adesired angle, it rotates about only one axis at a time. The supportmechanism can rotate about another axis only when the support mechanismresumes its initial position. This ensures a minimum displacement of thecenter of gravity of the mounting device and display combined away fromthe wall on which the mounting device is mounted, and accordingly theminimum arm of force. In other words, translational movement duringadjustment of the angle of the display can be avoided.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a flat panel display mounting device ofthe present invention (with the rotation control mechanism removed, butincluding the wall where the device is mounted and the flat paneldisplay mounted on the device);

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of FIG. 1 (with rotation control mechanismadded);

FIG. 3 shows the mounting device in folded state;

FIG. 4 shows the side view of the mounting device;

FIG. 5 shows one of the panel members;

FIG. 6 shows three preferable kinds of cross-section of a panel member;

FIG. 7 shows a first embodiment of the present invention in foldedstate;

FIG. 8 shows the first embodiment which is adjusted to a desired angle;

FIG. 9 shows the first embodiment which is adjusted to another desiredangle;

FIG. 10 shows a second embodiment of the present invention in foldedstate;

FIG. 11 shows the second embodiment which is adjusted to a desiredangle;

FIG. 12 shows the second embodiment which is adjusted to another desiredangle;

FIG. 13 shows a third embodiment of the present invention in foldedstate;

FIG. 14 shows the third embodiment which is adjusted to a desired angle;and

FIG. 15 shows the third embodiment which is adjusted to another desiredangle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of the flat panel display mountingdevice 10 and FIG. 2 shows an exploded view thereof. The device 10comprises a support mechanism 20, which further comprises a base supportpanel member 22, a display support panel member 24, and two pairs ofrotatable support panel members 26 and 28. The base support panel member22 is fixed to a support surface or on a wall 50 via a mounting plate 60by means of, for example, screws. The display support panel member 24 isadapted to support a flat panel display 2. The display support panelmember 24 is pivotally connected to the base support panel member 22 viathe two pairs of rotatable support panel members 26 and 28 by means of,for example, hinges 30. Specifically, the two pairs of rotatable supportpanel members 26 and 28 are configured in the following manner: one ofthe two pairs of the rotatable support panel members 26 and 28 ispivotally connected to the left edge 221 of the base support panelmember 22 and the left edge 241 of the display support panel member 24;the other of the two pairs of the rotatable support panel members 26 and28 is pivotally connected to the right edge 222 of the base supportpanel member 22 and the right edge 242 of the display support panelmember 24; each pair of the rotatable support panel members contains twosupport panel members 26 and 28 pivotally connected to each other.

As shown and described above, the support mechanism 20 is constructed bysupport panel members 22, 24, 26, and 28. Compared with links or arms,support panel members can sustain much heavier load and suffer lessstructural deformation. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, to reduce the weightof the support panel members, it is preferred that they are constructedby truss 35, where the truss can be hollow 36 or solid 37 (see FIG. 6).The support panels can also be made of punched plates 38 (see FIG. 6).The support panel structure can be as thin as possible yet stillmaintains enough structural strength to support a heavy flat paneldisplay.

As shown in FIG. 1, the base support panel member 22 includes a baseextension 32, and the display support panel member 24 includes a supportextension 34. The base extension 32 is fixed to the base support panelmember 22 by means of welding or screws. The support extension 34 can befixed to the display support panel member 24 in similar ways.

As shown in FIG. 2, the device 10 further comprises a rotation controlmechanism 40. The mechanism 40 comprises a first link 42 and a secondlink 44. The left end 421 of the first link 42 is pivotally connected tothe left end 321 of the base support extension 32, and the right end 422of the first link 42 is pivotally connected to the right end 342 of thedisplay support extension 34. Similarly, the left end 441 of the secondlink 44 is pivotally connected to the left end 341 of the displaysupport extension 34, and the right end 442 of the second link 44 ispivotally connected to the right end 322 of the base support extension32.

With the rotation control mechanism 40 connected to the supportmechanism 20 as described in the previous paragraph, the flat paneldisplay 2 can be rotated to an angle shown in FIGS. 8 and 9. It can beunderstood from FIGS. 2 and 7-9 that the flat panel display 2 can onlyrotate about axis A or axis B at a time. The flat panel display 2 cannotsimultaneously rotate about axes A and B. If the initial position of theflat panel display 2 is shown in FIG. 7, the flat panel display 2 in theposition shown in FIG. 8 to be rotated to a position shown in FIG. 9must be first rotated back into its initial position and then be rotatedinto the other position shown in FIG. 9. The rotating operation ensuresa minimum displacement of the center of gravity of the flat paneldisplay 2 away from the surface of the wall 50. In other words, there isonly angular component of movement of the center of gravity of the flatpanel display 2 and no translational component during angular adjustmentof the flat panel display 2. Thus, the loading, i.e., the combinedweight of the mounting device 10 and the flat panel display 2 and themoment that it generates exerted on the support mechanism 20 during therotation can be as low as possible.

FIGS. 10-12 show the second embodiment of the mounting device 10′ of thepresent invention. In this embodiment, the support mechanism 20′comprises a base support panel member 22′, a display support panelmember 24′, and one pair of rotatable panel members 26′ and 28′. Theconfiguration of the entire device 10′ is similar to that of the firstembodiment except that the support mechanism 20′ comprises only tworotatable support panel members 26′ and 28′. In this embodiment, thepair of rotatable support panel members 26′ and 28′ are configured inthe following manner: the pair of the rotatable support panel members26′ and 28′ is pivotally connected to the side edge of the base supportpanel member 22′ and the side edge of the display support panel member24′, and the two rotatable support panel members 26′ and 28′ arepivotally connected to each other. In this embodiment, the axis betweendisplay support panel member 24′ and support panel member 28′ should beclose to the center position of display 2. While it turns to right orleft, both sides should hold the same wide angle.

FIGS. 13-15 show the third embodiment of the present invention. In thisembodiment, the support mechanism 20″ comprises a base support panelmember 22″, a display support panel member 24″, and one rotatablesupport panel member 26″. The configuration of the entire device 10″ issimilar to that of the first embodiment except that the supportmechanism 20″ comprises only one single rotatable support panel member26″ and the rotation control mechanism only comprises one second link44, i.e. the first link which the first and second embodiments comprisecan be omitted because its function can be taken over by the rotatablesupport panel member 26″. The rotatable support panel member 26″ ispivotally connected to the side edge of the base support panel member22″ and the side edge of the display support panel member 24″.

It is preferable that the dimensions of the support panel members usedin the present invention, i.e., the height (a), the width (b), and thethickness (c) have the following relationship:3a≧b≧a/3,if a≧b,a/10≧c≧1 mmif a<b,b/10≧c≧1 mm

The limitations to the dimensions of the support panel members ensurethat the mounting device can be lightweight yet still have sufficientstructural strength to rotatably support the flat panel display.

The invention may also be implemented in other specific modes withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention. Thus, the above-mentionedembodiments shall be regarded as explanatory but not restrictive. Allchanges that are consistent with the meaning and range of the claims andthe equivalents shall fall within the scope claimed by the invention.

1. A flat panel display mounting device, comprising: a support mechanismcomprising: a base support panel member to be fixed to a supportsurface, having a left edge and a right edge, and having a base supportextension with a left end and right end; a display support panel memberfor supporting the flat panel display, having a left edge and a rightedge, and having a display support extension with a left end and a rightend; and one pair of rotatable support panel members being pivotallyconnected to the right edge of the base support panel member and theright edge of the display support panel member, and the pair of therotatable support panel members containing two support panel memberspivotally connected to each other; and a rotation control mechanismcomprising a first link and a second link, both having a left end and aright end, wherein the left end of the first link is pivotally connectedto the left end of the base support extension and the right end of thefirst link is pivotally connected to the right end of the displaysupport extension, and the left end of the second link is pivotallyconnected to the left end of the display support extension and the rightend of the second link is pivotally connected to the right end of thebase support extension.
 2. The flat panel display mounting deviceaccording to claim 1, wherein the support panel members has a trussstructure.
 3. The flat panel display mounting device according to claim2, wherein the truss is solid.
 4. The flat panel display mounting deviceaccording to claim 2, wherein the truss is hollow.
 5. The flat paneldisplay mounting device according to claim 1, wherein the support panelmembers are in the form of punched plates.
 6. The flat panel displaymounting device according to claim 1, wherein each of the support panelmembers has dimensions of height (a), length (b), and thickness (c)which have the relationship:3a≧b≧a/3,if a≧b,a/10≧c≧1 mmif a<b,b/10≧c≧1 mm.